by Harloe Rae
“And naked?”
Sutton laughs. “Very much so.”
“Okay,” I grumble. “I guess we have a deal.”
“You’ll enjoy this. It might take your mind off stripping me bare.”
“I highly doubt that, but if you say so.” I stride to my closet, throwing on the first pair of jeans from my shelf. A white tee gets tugged over my head and I’m set.
I follow Sutton down the stairs, enjoying the view of her ass swaying in the slinky fabric. She switches off lights along the way, locking the door behind us. Next she releases Bear into his outdoor kennel.
“You’ve established a routine in my absence.”
Her smile is a bit sad and I want to punch myself for bringing it up. “Kind of had to.”
I thread our fingers together, kissing each of her knuckles. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“There is absolutely nothing for you to apologize for. And we’re all good now. Let’s never go back to being apart.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” I guide her toward the garage to get my bike. Sutton begins tugging me in the opposite direction. I pause my route and glance over at her. “Uh, what’s up, Sutt? What are you doing?”
“Walking to my car. How about you?”
“Figured we could take the Harley.”
She quirks a brow at me. “But it won’t be a very good surprise if you know where we are going.”
I already agreed to this so she’s got me there. Relenting is inevitable. I allow her to drag me to the small coupe, squeezing my tall frame into the passenger seat. My knees bang into the dashboard and I bite off a curse.
Sutton cringes. “Sorry. We’ll take the bike next time. And from then on if you want.”
I wink at her. “Freedom on the road.”
“And this is the opposite. You probably need the feeling of no barriers right now.”
“Worth it, baby. I don’t mind being cramped into a small space with you.”
Her whimsy sigh soothes my hard edges, securing me around her pinkie. “You always say the perfect thing, Gray.”
“Only the best for my girl. No bounds on our love, baby.”
She fans herself with an open palm. “Swoon alert. You’re straight out of a romance novel.”
“But better?”
“So much.”
Ten minutes is all it takes for us to reach the main drag of Silo Springs. My eyes are focusing out the window, watching the buildings pass. I assume we’re having dinner at one of the few restaurants in town. But Sutton pulls over and parks in front of the very last place I ever imagined.
I do a double-take at the name, not computing how this adds up. A row of motorcycles decorate the designated area out front. I blink at the yellow and blue neon sign. Howlers is blinking bold and proud. I peer at Sutton from the corner of my eye. She’s beaming at me, her expression about to burst with joy.
“Uh, is this my surprise?” I point to my old stomping ground.
She nods and steeples two fingers under her chin. “Yep. Let’s go inside.”
When we step through the entrance, an eruption of cheers and applause rings out. I almost topple backwards onto my ass. It appears more than half the residents of Silo Springs are packed inside this dingy space.
“What’s everyone doing here?” I can hardly hear over the pounding parade of my pulse.
Sutton bumps her hip into me. “To celebrate, of course.”
I scrub over the prickle on my scalp. “How could they already know about our engagement?”
“They’re here for you, silly. We all wanted to celebrate you.”
“All of this is… for me?” I almost don’t get the question out of my clogging throat.
She loops an arm around me, leaning her head on my arm. “Yes, baby. Everyone wanted to see you.”
Barry, Alice, and Jace are the first to approach us. They don’t bother asking before wrapping me up in a group hug. I return the affection without hesitation. These are my people. They’re always here for me.
We find an open spot at the bar and settle in. The stools are more uncomfortable than ever. Familiar groans from worn leather paired with squeaks of rusting metal greet me.
Alice hugs me again. “I’m so glad we caught him. That man needs to pay for framing you.”
A black shadow passes over my vision thinking of Lance and his attempt at ruining my life. I crack my neck, grinding all consideration of him into the stained ground. “Sounds like he will,” I mutter.
“Mom,” Sutton interrupts. She shoves her left hand under Alice’s nose. Her mother gasps.
“Is that what—”
“Yes! We’re getting married. Let’s focus on that happy and leave the poison buried in the past.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Alice coos. “This is wonderful news. The absolute best.” She lifts her watery features to me. “I can’t wait for you to officially be part of our family.”
Jace nudges his mom over a step. “He already is. Always has been.”
She huffs. “You know what I mean.”
Barry pats me on the back. “Damn proud of you son. Couldn’t ask for a better man to make an honest woman of my daughter.”
“Dad!” Sutton scolds.
He chuckles. “Just kidding, sweetheart. You’ve always been a catch.”
She folds her arms. “Uh-huh, yeah.”
I lean into her. “For me. That’s what matters.”
“So,” Alice chirps. “When’s the wedding?”
“Oh, mom. Stop.” Sutton’s wide gaze slides to me. “We just got engaged this morning. Maybe we’ll plan for next—“
“Month?” I finish for her. She chokes on that little bomb I dropped. “Problem?”
Sutton whips her head back and forth. “Nope. That’s great. Perfect, really.”
I kiss her temple. “That’s what I thought, beautiful.”
She sags into me. “Love you, fiancé.”
“Damn, I really like the sound of that. I’m gonna love calling you wife.”
A collective sigh comes from her parents. Alice is practically glowing. “We better start planning.”
I just laugh. Sutton holds up her left hand again, showing off the goods. “Not yet. I want to appreciate having my fiancé home. How about we spend today enjoying each other’s company? Tomorrow we can discuss the future.”
I cup her ass against the seat. “You’re reading my mind, Sutt.”
“Because we’re one.” There’s awe in her voice.
We order a round of drinks and toast to this happy something. Family bonding. There’s nothing quite like it.
Others begin trickling over to give me a clap on the back or offer to buy me a beer. Everyone has a smile and kind words reserved for me. My heart is bursting and threatening to overflow. I’ve never felt this level of acceptance. It’s almost unbelievable, but my eyes don’t deceive me.
One hour feeds into two. The third ticks over and my skin is getting itchy. I glance over at my girl. Her baby blues are already latched onto me. She gives me a little wave of her fingers. I nod toward the exit. Her eyebrows wag at me in return.
Well, damn. It looks like I’m getting all sorts of lucky today.
Happy something #199: Getting so caught up in something, or a certain someone, that I forget to breathe.
I wake with a lazy stretch. All of my muscles, especially in the lower half, are deliciously sore. I revel in the lingering burn. Aftershocks zap at my nerve endings and I smile into the pillow. That last orgasm is one for the books.
Grady stirs next to me, reaching over in his drowsy state. “Morning, baby.”
I roll over and flop onto his bare chest. “Hey, Gray.”
“Sleep well?”
“So good.”
His lips find my forehead and I shiver. Grady got his wish about being naked. Not a single stitch of clothing has touched my body for almost seventy-two hours. We’ve barely separated for air since he was released. It’s safe to say our codependency has reached record highs.
Not that I’m complaining, and no one would blame us.
“Coffee?” The question is a murmur against my temple.
I brush my lips over his nipple. “Maybe in a bit.”
“That’s my girl.” His fingers roam over the base of my spine, and drift lower.
We haven’t left the bedroom for more than basic essentials. I’m perfectly pleased to survive on Grady and his very capable body. But alas, my pesky stomach growls intermittently with different demands.
In this moment, my lower belly is in charge and craving the naked man beside me. He seems to be having the same bout of hunger.
Grady presses his nose into the crook of my neck. A whisper of heat pebbles my skin when he growls against me. “You smell like a freshly showered dude.”
I giggle and squirm closer. “I ran out of body wash. I’ve been more than happy to bathe in your manly aroma.”
He treats himself to another whiff. “I’d rather put my scent on you the old fashioned way.”
“Be my guest,” I purr.
Grady flips our position in a single beat. He crawls over and lowers on top of me with a groan. Our naked limbs twine together within seconds. An idea strikes me just as he’s about to slide in.
I push on his chest. “Wait.”
He startles and props up on an elbow. “Care to repeat that? Pretty sure I misheard you.”
“I have an idea.”
“Does this involve simultaneous orgasms?”
“Yes.”
“All right then.” His dick twitches against my core as he lines us up again.
“Wait!” I giggle.
His forehead hits my shoulder. “Killing me, Sutt. I’m no longer familiar with that word when it comes to you and sex.”
“My parents are out of town. I told them I’d feed the horses.”
“You choose to bring this up now?”
I sweep some stray strands out of his eyes. “Wanna join me?”
“Afraid of a big, bad wolf?”
I dance my toes along his calf. “I might need your help.”
“That involves us getting dressed.” He nudges his eager insistence into me, steely hard against velvet soft. “Staying right here is much more promising.”
I wiggle out of his intended target zone. “I have something else in mind while we’re there.”
“Another surprise?”
I nod. “Yes. The last one turned out well, right?”
“It did.”
“And this one has been a long time coming.”
A quiver skates over my body. “Those words from your mouth ruin me, Sutt.”
“Is that a yes?”
Grady kisses me, a slow slide of lips that delves deeper. I loop my arms around him while brushing our tongues together. We share a groan and I’m almost regretting hitting the pause button.
He’s the one to pull away. “Never can deny you.”
I’ve never been more thankful that Grady bought a house within five miles of my family farm. We’re pulling up in front of the barn before the desire has cooled from my blood. I drag him toward the door, his hands already wandering up the exposed skin of my thighs. The skirt I’m wearing is definitely on purpose.
The smell of sawdust and leather are hanging heavy in the air. I lead him toward the ladder, making my intentions clear.
Grady’s cheek dents with a smile. “We haven’t been up there in years.”
“I loved those nights.” I peek down at him once I’ve cleared the landing.
His gaze is latched onto my bare center. “No panties?”
“Makes this more exciting.”
Grady meets me in the loft. “Sneaking off with your forbidden crush?”
“You were never a secret for me.”
He tucks some hair behind my ear. “I wouldn’t blame you.”
“But I could never do that. You were always the one for me, Grady Bowen.” My engagement ring catches a ray of early morning sun.
“So,” he tucks a hand in his front pocket. “You got me up here. Now what will you do with me?”
I point to a short tower of bales. “Sit down, Gray.”
He follows my orders without pause. His ass hits the nearest square and he reclines against the stack behind him. My sandals shuffle in the loose hay scattered across the ground. When I’m between his spread legs, I kneel onto the wood floor.
“Whatcha doing, Sutt?” His voice dips into gravel with the question.
“You’ll see.” I smooth my palms up his denim-clad thighs, palming the rigid length straining toward me. I unbuckle his belt with a quick yank. The button pops open almost on its own. Grady groans as the confines of his jeans gape.
I ease the zipper down at a tortuous pace meant to tease, the metal teeth tick with each pass. He lifts his hips to make my job easier. I lower the material until the vital part of him springs out for my taking. When I stop the stripping descent, he raises a brow.
“Wanna take them all the way off?”
I shake my head. “Less risk of getting caught.”
A rumble rolls out of him. “Oh, we’re playing like that?”
My eyes stay glued on the hard column of his penis. “Uh-huh.”
“Well, we better hurry. Someone could come home at any minute.” He fists himself, giving a few cursory pumps. The cords and ropes of muscle in his forearm make me drool. I’m totally transfixed on his steady movement.
“Yeah, uh-huh,” I repeat.
“Ride me, baby.”
I clamber on top of him. “I always pictured us like this.”
“Sprawled out in the hay?” His hands travel up and under my skirt. He shoves the fabric around my waist with a rough rasp. The cool air breezes across my nude center. My responding shiver has nothing to do with the cold.
I straddle his lap, ignoring the scratch of hay against my bare skin. “Yeah, Gray. Just like this.”
He cups my ass. “You have a dirty imagination.”
I lean down and over him, my lips brushing his ear. “When it comes to you, I’m positively filthy.”
My dark waves form a curtain around us, or maybe a veil. I hover over his length, the tip kissing my entrance. Grady’s grip on me is punishing and will surely leave bruises. Nothing turns me on faster than the evidence of our passion. Another shot of piping hot arousal spreads in my veins. I’m already tripping toward that blissful edge from this position alone.
Grady plows forward without warning. The harsh thrust drives my upper body off his chest. His powerful glide into me is a surge of high-voltage electricity. I’m stunned still for a second, floating on static. A fiery zap shocks my limbs back to life. I flail and blindly reach for something solid to regain my balance. My hands find purchase on the sculpted rocks of his shoulders.
“The way we fit together, Sutt. Damn. Just like the first time. I’ll never get used to having you this way.”
I drift my palms down and settle on his wide pecs. “This is everything, Gray. You make me feel so good.”
I’m fully seated on his lap and he’s buried to the hilt. My body welcomes him with a warm sigh, whispering for more. Soon those soft pleas will be deafening screams.
Grady clutches my hips and presses me deeper onto him. Only the slapping of skin accompanies us in this space. His length strikes that sensitive spot hidden inside of me. I toss my head back, the tips of my hair tickling my lower back. He repeats the motion and I collapse against him. To any unsuspecting onlookers, it appears we’re just cuddling. But this is far more than a simple embrace.
“This is so much better than my teenage dreams.”
He cups my nape, applying just the right amount of pressure to send a zing to the soles of my feet. “Bringing the images to life always comes out ahead.”
And we do.
He punches in and out at a fierce rhythm. I grind down onto him, seeking more. We’re propelling faster toward the stratosphere with each ruthless stroke. Our pace is rabid, the need for release chasing us. We have to hurry before so
meone catches us.
With a mutual groan, we hurdle off the cliff. The tumble wraps me up in blistering heat and rockets me skyward. I clack my teeth together and let go, releasing the pent-up lust with a muffled scream. Higher and hotter, the spiral swirling me tighter and faster.
I flop over, out of breath with stars sparkling in my vision. “Wow, that was, just really wow,” I pant. “Thank you, Gray.”
His chest rises and falls. He turns his head to face me. “For the orgasm?”
I roll my eyes. “Well, yeah. But mostly for making all of my fantasies come true.”
He slaps a palm to his chest. “Delivering happy somethings for life.”
I curl into his side, temporarily sated and wholly satisfied. “Just like I always knew you would.”
Happy something #300: Dancing with my wife.
“By the power vested in me by the state of Wyoming, I’m proud to pronounce you as husband and wife. Grady,” my best friend stares me down with a twitch in his smirk, “you may now kiss your bride.”
The final portions of Jace’s officiant speech are a shotgun blast. I spear my fingers into Sutton’s perfectly styled hair and crash our lips together. With an arm banded around her waist, I bend my wife into a deep dip. Her lips are a flavorful burst of the juiciest strawberries picked right off the vine. I’m ravenous, dragging that plump pout between my teeth and going in for seconds. Her professionally painted nails dig into my suit jacket while she whimpers for more. We’re so damn gone.
I smile against her glossy mouth. “Can we skip out of the reception?”
She giggles. “At our own wedding?”
I shrug a shoulder. “I made it through the entire ceremony.”
“And you want a reward?”
“So long as you’re my prize.”
She gestures between us. “We just vowed forever and always.”
“Didn’t need rings and a license to tell me that, Sutt.”
“Oh my gosh, we’re actually married,” she whispers.
Sutton’s eyes resemble blue glass when she blinks up at me. I press another kiss to her painted lips. “I love you, wife.”
She links the fingers of our left hands together. “And I love you, husband.”